The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1887-04-07
How to Use a Pistol.

of the county of Grant. It took ths
measure three weeks to die of exhaus
lion, and as Mr.. Whitebill had little tC
10 except watching it, he was never soo
busy to chat about his old friends in
The east. Du ring a long conversation
Today, he remarked.
Its funny. but every tenderfooI
thinks that all cowboys carry double
acting, or some call them ~self-cocking,
revolvers. There was a time when
hose weapons were in hi gh favor, but
he cowboys soon found that they were
positively unhandy instead of being a
1elp to a man in a hurry. Now self
cooking pistols are b~oycotted. I'll BET
sour-fifths of the cowboys in this terri
;ory have gone back to the old style
single acting pistol. Two years ago
everybody had a dou ble-acting gun and
wouldn't have any other"
''Why, don't they like the new
,tyle?"
mo. They discovered that. try as
they would, thew could not avoid de-
Hecting the muzzle of the pistol to the
right while pulling the trigger to raise
the hammer. You see all the power is
applied from the right hand side of the
trigger. where you put your finger in.
Now, when you pull the trigger for the
comparatively long period necessary to
get the double-acting hammer up to
the point where the spring is released
and it falls, you insensibly put Il heavy
pressure on the right-hand side and
can't help swaying the muzzle in that
direction. When the double-aCting
guns were in style here we used to
notice that five out of every six men
who got shot were wounded in the left
side. Of these about one half were
shot so far to the left that the bali sini-
ply grazed their ribs. Another Large
percentage were shot in the inner side
of the left arm. Now the cowboy
| brides himself on hitting the dead cen
ter of his opponent. 1t is always his
wish to put tine ball right at the june
ture of the ribs above the stomach.
This is not merely because they want
to put on style; the placing of a 49,
cal Der ball right there prevents your
man from coming back at you. Now,
rs 500 as the cowboys began TO note
this queer feature OF the shooting, it
became Il matter of serious moment to
them. They quickly found the fault to
be in the self-cocKer, which by defect
ing their muZzles of course inclined
the balls toward the left side of the
man facing them in front. That set
tied the self-cocker. The fact the cow
boys were right is proven b. the stimuli
taneous disappearance of the new style
and temperance of the old style
wound"
But can't one shoot faster with the
new style weapon?" asked the tender
loot.
odd you ever see a cowboy shoot?"
asked the ~ex-sheriff with q ~quizzical
smile. ''Why. see here, this is a single
acting. old-style pistol. Watch that
Zee"
Before the words were well uttered
he handsome sheriff had got the drop
On the growing timber and six shots
rang out in such rapid succession that
hey sounted like the explosion of a
small pack of very large fire crackers.
During the shooting Mr.. WhitehiIr's
eft forefinger vibrated along the top
Of the pistol barrel from muzzle to
oreech. The six balls filled the tree
about three inches apart.
Now, | carry my p stol fixed this
way and it's all ready for USE" he CON
;inued, exhibiting the weapon 1t was
If 4S callber, about eighteen inches
.ong, and handsomely mounted. The
iCCr uyo- tinI Ern,1r LoaI $500.
he inner side Of the guard with a raw
hide thong.
.:All l have to do with it," explained
The eX-peace guardian, sis to brush the
lammer back as far as it will 90 with
my left foretinger while L hold the pis-
sol firmly with my right hand. My
light forefinger never goes near the
trigger, but helps to hold the stock, and
ibis makes my grip more firm and
certain. When | push back the ham,
mer [ have only to take my finger off
20 let it fall and discharge the pistol.
You see the trigger being tied back the
hammer is always free. One motion is
all that is necessary to push back the
hammer and fire the shot. The trick
is called tanning the hammer You
see l pushed it back with my left fore
finger; it instantly fell when l released
it, and the next instant my finger was
again pushing it back to q full cock.
Doing this little act quickly makes
your little finger SWAY back and forth
n a way not unlike the tanning motion.
That's where it got its name.
DO all cowboys adopt this plan9"
20, no. Most of them cock the pis-
sol with the left fore finger, but some
prefer to leave the trigger free, and with
each shot apply the Slight pressure of
The right fore finger necessary to dis
charge the weapon. There is no pres
sure to speak of on the trigger, how
ever, and the aim is never spoiled.
With a hair trigger you have only to
1old the gun straight and you will get
there. When | was sheriff, down in
Grant, [ always went around with my
trigger tied back, and | never carried a
self cocker. Yet / could shoot as quick
rs any man. If l hadn't | would not
be here now. There's Pat Garrett.
who used TO be sheriff of Lincoln coun-
tv, which he is now trying to cut in